Love, Hermione
by thedrummer120
Summary: Ron and Hermione had been best friends for as long as they can both remember, nothing more than that. But, as time goes on, they begin to see each other in a different light. Just at completely different times. (A Post-Hogwarts AU, based off of the movie Love, Rosie)
1. Chapter 1

Tell them... this is the has got to be.. best day of your life. Hermione sighed, of all the girls! Why did it have to be Lavender! Of course, she was happy for Ron. He was her best friend, as far back as she could remember.

"Um, Hello.. For those of you I haven't properly spoken to this afternoon, I'm Hermione Granger." She paused and licked her drying bottom lip.

"Well, what can I say? I mean, where can one possibly start?"

Well the beginning could be good, I suppose.

The Hogwarts Express... perhaps? Or! Tell them about the time he cursed Malfoy for you. That'll get a kick out of the crowd. How he threw up slugs for nearly 3 hours all because of a faulty wand. Merlin, she remembered that day as if it was yesterday. How her heart fluttered as her best-friend yelled, "eat slugs Malfoy!" Ron. The same boy who had made her cry on Hallows Eve; had now become the boy who defended her.

Or maybe.. just maybe tell them about how, as much as he hates to admit it, Ronald Bilius Weasley has the 'emotional range of a teaspoon'. No... That should be saved for just the two of them.

For once in her life, Hermione Jean Granger was at a loss for words. This was her best friend, for Merlin's sake. And he was getting married! She would have given anything to have been Harry. Lucky bloke had escaped the so called 'privilege' of being Ron's best man.

Even if she could say something.. she was afraid she would say too much. Things that had been hidden in the back of her mind; practically since the day they met. Words she had been waiting.. no, had been too scared to say for the last seven years. A majority of those things, she absolutely could not say in front of him and his new wife.

12 years ago...

Hermione's 18th Birthday.

Muggles sure knew how to party. Ron thought, smiling to himself and examining the crowd of people he seemed to be trapped in the middle of. He stood out, as he was the only one not dancing along to the deafening music. That, and he was the only ginger in a sea of your typical, run of the mill English blokes. I should come here more often. He noted. The celebration and excitement were almost palpable, and even though Ron had been surrounded by magic his entire life, everything he had come to know as familiar paled in comparison to the real magic that was happening here. Human connection. Something Ron could surely work on. His smile faded as his thoughts drowned out the scene around him. If he had had the courage; he and Hermione would have been together by now. But no.. he had to muck that up. More than once.

Hermione's voice pulled him out of his head. He could tell by the way she was craning her neck that she was searching for something. Him.

"Ron!" Hermione grinned.

Her volume was very different than what he was used to, probably due to the fact that she needed to be heard over the music. Ron was used to prim-and-proper Hermione. The girl who told him to shush if his volume ever went over a whisper in the library. Ah, the library. It was her sanctuary. The place she spent most of her time at, nose deep in a good book. The place where Ron knew to look for her, where Ron would watch her for hours on end - Merlin, that was creepy.

He suppressed a laugh at the mess of a girl he could spot even from across the club. She was obviously knackered, her familiar frizzy hair had a mind of its own, some stuck to her sweaty forehead, while others stook up at odd angles. This was an image that he could get used to. Her cheeks were straight flushed, a beautiful shade of pink, and - no! Stop that Ron!

"'Mione!" He shook his head playfully and began to walk over to her - a task that proved to be more difficult than Ron thought. He had always been lanky, a feature which he thought he could use to his advantage, but in this situation, it seemed to slow him down.

"'Mione!" He repeated, worried that he was getting lost in the crowd.

But Hermione could pick him out in a second. She attempted to walk to him, to no avail. Her legs gave out from beneath her and she was about to topple to the floor; if it wasn't for Ron's muscular arms that scooped her up and grabbed her around the waist.

Ron laughed at his best friend. She certainly was inebriated, now, wasn't she? It was so peculiar how a girl who was usually so composed was now barely able to stand on her own two feet, and was here. In his arms.

"Woah, woah, woah." He chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose lightly. It was perfect... Her nose, that is. Actually... every inch of Hermione was perfect to Ron. To the nth degree. But he couldn't well tell her that... obviously! What if he ruined their friendship?

Hermione groaned softly in Ron's arms, snapping him back to reality. "You.. my friend... are very drunk." He laughed again, rubbing his large, calloused hands up and down her back. Get a hold of yourself, Ron! You aren't the type of bloke to go feeling up a girl, nonetheless, your BEST FRIEND, all because she's vulnerable! Don't go round being that creep to take advantage of a girl, c'mon Ron. Your mother taught you better.

Then there was an angelic giggle that filled the air. Hermione's giggle. Merlin... the sound alone sent him to heaven and back. "It seems that I am." Hermione responded, trying and failing, once again to regain her balance.

"Hermione.." Ron strained, trying to get her to her feet. Her entire body was limp and she was giggling like a mad-man. Shite, for someone quite small, she was awfully hard to move.

That's when it happened.

Hermione met Ron in a soft but passionate kiss. Was this the alcohol talking? Ron thought, but soon, every logical thought was pushed away. No, rather.. it was right sucked out of him. He was kissing the girl of the dreams. The girl who he had been pining after for a good seven years, the girl who he was sure had no feelings for him. Well, here she was, proving him wrong yet again. He met her kiss with equal passion, and he hoped the kiss conveyed everything that he had wanted to say. Everything he couldn't say.. no, was too scared to say since the moment that he realized that he was in love with her. No one else, it could never be anyone else. Is this how heaven feels? Ron pondered. Her lips felt unlike anything he had ever felt, and he had won the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor.

Then, Hermione's foot slipped. And there she went for the third time that night; tumbling to the ground.

St. Mungo's Hospital

Ron paced back and forth in the hospital room, Fuck, he hoped she would be fine.

"Mate!" For around the - ugh, he had lost count - fifth(?) time that night, Ron was snapped out of his thoughts by one of his best friends. "Stop pacing! You're driving me mad!" For a second, Ron had forgotten Harry was there... Harry was there! At the club! How could he forget?

"Harry, tell me I'm going crazy, but did you see Hermione kiss me?!" Harry cocked his head in confusion, something he was doing a lot more lately.

"Hermione.. kiss you? Ron.. if Hermione wasn't the one getting her stomach pumped right now, I would think that you were the one who had too much to drink."

"No, I'm serious Harry. You didn't see anything?"

"Nothing." Harry smirked. "And even if what you say did happen.. well it's about time mate."

Ron grinned from ear to ear. His lips seemed to radiate with heat. Almost as if Hermione was there, kissing him over and over again. Please, please, let it be real.

The Next Morning...

Who invented sunlight? Hermione groaned. All she wanted right now was for the world to be silent, still and dark.

"'Mione?" She heard a voice near her whisper.

Ron?

Merlin, hearing him just say the nickname he had given her was enough to send tingles throughout her body. Tingles that made it hard not to kiss him. Merlin! Keep that to yourself, Hermione, there was no way that he could ever feel the same about her. After all, she was this bossy know-it-all that he had loathed for the longest time and -

"Are you awake?" He chuckled, obviously noticing her attempting to fake sleeping by closing her eyes with such force; he was sure she would be permanently stuck like that.

"Yes?" She mumbled into a nearby hospital pillow, neatly laid out for her, still smelling slightly of Lysol.

"How're you feeling?"

"Oh Merlin, don't remind me."

Ron chuckled. He seemed to be much more comfortable around her. Hermione thought. Or perhaps it was just his motherly instincts kicking in. Hermione went with the latter. His hand was suddenly dangerously close to her thigh, but she chose to ignore it.

"I behaved so badly!" She screamed, pressing her face even deeper into what she imagined to be, a rather filthy pillow.

"You could say that." He sniggered, gently brushing a bit of hair behind her ear.

"But good can be bad too." He whispered, shooting her that shy crooked smirk that made he knees weak.

Why was he acting so weird? Hermione thought. But she was interrupted by the presence of two more people in her hospital room.

"Mione's got her stomach pumped! Mione's got her stomach pumped!" Fred and George sing-songed, only to be met by the pillow that Hermione had her face buried in just seconds before.

"Oh bugger off!"

Hermione could hear the familiar voice of Mrs. Weasley, scolding the twins, down the hospital corridor. "Boys, what did the healer tell you! No more than two people in her room!"

"What is she doing here?"

Ron's ears turned a slight red. "Well, Harry and I panicked, and we couldn't well call your parents to come to St. Mungo's so..."

"Ron! Ugh! Your mum will think so horribly of me now!"

"I'm sure she won't -"

"You have to promise not to say anything about last night. Forget it all, Ron."

"All of it?"

"All of it" Hermione repeated.

"Even us-"

"Whatever we did last night Ron, it was wrong, and I want to scorer every inch of my brain just to forget it."

Scourer? Did last night not mean anything to her?

"Oh, alright" Ron said, disappointed. Maybe last night really was a mistake...


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was the same colour as Ron's eyes, Hermione noted. Not realizing her own eyes were trained on the familiar - dare she say - muscular figure of her best friend. Who sailed across the sky playing Quiddich with Ginny and Harry. Her weekend birthday celebration far from the gates of Hogwarts had been long forgotten. They'd been forgiven by McGonagall in a heartbeat because they were well... The Golden Trio. They had defeated Voldemort - only a year before. Plus, if the word had gotten out that her head girl and head boy had been granted access to Muggle London, she would have been swarmed by requests of the same caliber, or worse... she would have been accused of favourtism. Even though, Hermione knew, deep down, McGonagall was slightly partial to the three of them. Hermione was so lost in thought and in Ron - his practiced movements and stupid grin, that she was SO sure was plastered across his smug face - that she didn't notice Cormac McLaggen sneak up behind her.

"Cormac! You gave me quite a fright!" She shrieked.

"Sorry 'bout that, love..." Hermione was taken back at the usage of love in his sentence. But he grinned, as if he was pleased with himself. A sickening, cocky grin that was no match to Ron's adorable, lopsided smile. Ugh.. that smile, she could think about it for hours and hours...

Snap out of it Hermione!

"Could I pull you aside for a second?" He gestured to the secluded hallways of Hogwarts, which were now deserted. Everyone was either in class or at Hogsmeade for the day. She was reluctant but unwilling to be rude, so she obliged.

Ron watched as she was pulled away and his grin disappeared, making way for a frown. He had been frowning a lot more lately.. hadn't he? First, at Hermione telling him to forget their first kiss, a magical one, might he add, then at this? Surely she wasn't considering going out with Cormac.

No, they couldn't be going out.

He rationalized. She had kissed him. Boy, girls were rather tricky to figure out.

Ron grinned. He was in love with her, alright. And he couldn't let his wavering self-confidence get in the way. Only time would tell if she was willing to return his feelings. But she was worth the wait, he thought. A single bludger whizzed past his ear - luckily missing him by mere centimeters - pulling him back to the madness of the Quiddich game.

The Yule Ball.

A tradition that hadn't been continued since the fiasco of events that occurred at the last Triwizard tournament. A ball! And she had been asked by Cormac! The hottest guy in their year. Well, not to Hermione at least. She always thought that Ron was the hottest guy in their year, with his trademark Weasley red locks and freckles that dotted his pale skin. The list of qualities that drew her to Ron could go on and on... Surely she could go with him! Wouldn't he have noticed that she's a girl by now? No matter... She could NEVER do that. It could ruin their friendship. One that had been precariously balancing and teetering over the edge.. what with their constant bickering and fights. Or.. perhaps they should just go as friends? That could be a possibility. And best case scenario.. they could share more than a dance, a kiss... Something she had been longing to do for a while now.

"What did that wanker want?" Ron asked harshly, quirking his eyebrow at Cormac's figure smugly walking away.

Hermione met Ron's tone, scolding him. "Language please, Ronald." She crossed her arms angrily across her chest, a gesture Ron was familiar with.. after all these years.

"And... Cormac asked to take me to the ball."

Ron was fuming. How could she? How could she even let that.. that - oh for lack of better words - wanker even talk to her! He knew that she had despised him since sixth year when he tried out for Keeper against Ron - How could she even consider the possibility?!

"Cormac McLaggen?! Christ, Hermione, what would a guy like that want to do with a girl like you?" Lavender Brown's shrill voice caught the attention of both Ron and Hermione, who snapped their heads in her direction. She had always been considered quite pretty, at least by the other guys in their year. And she seemed to be quite adequate, in the - erm - upper area. Ron seemed to notice, of course, his eyes were practically glued to the area in question. Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Course Lavender would have something to say about this. Everyone knew she had a thing for Cormac since about second year.

"Well since he's off the table.." Lavender looked around and fluttered her eyes at Ron, draping every inch of her body over his. "Ron - would you like to accompany me to the Yule Ball?"

"I- erm- uhh-" The tips of Ron's ears were rather red now, as his gaze shifted between the two girls, then back again. He always seemed to be trapped in tricky situations like this. Bloody Hell, it looked like they were bout to bite each others heads off. Ron's eyes couldn't help but travel to Lavender's, well- Lavender's, frontal region, and.. oh you get it. Which only intensified the heat in his ears, now rivaling his hair. Hermione seemed to take notice of this and nudged him angrily.

"Yeah, uhm, ahh- er, sure." Ron stammered.

"Good, then it's settled now." Lavender giggled, kissing Ron sharply on the cheek as he did everything to shrink away from the piercing gaze of Hermione Granger.

Just seconds ago, she had considered the possibility of going with this..this prat! He..he had betrayed her! She would never talk to him again! Lavender bounced away, leaving a rather embarrassed Ron.

She felt hot tears threaten to fall from her eyes as she retaliated. "Fine! If everything's settled, then I'll see you and Lavender at the ball! And to THINK! That I had even CONSIDERED taking you!" She couldn't hold it back anymore. The floodgates opened with her anger. She had fantasized pouring her heart out to him, but here he had gone, practically yanking her heart out of her chest and stomping on it.

"You wanted to go with me?" Ron whispered. He had mucked this one up too.

"Yeah." She sniffed. "Forget it, I was stupid!" She cried, stomping away.

Shit, he had really mucked this one up.

Gryffindor Common Room

Harry always knew when Hermione was in a right mood, and he always knew when it was about Ron. And he knew that when she was like this, his only hope was to stay out of it. But when he heard Hermione's loud, angry sobs, he knew he had to intervene.

"Her...Hermione?" Harry peaked his head out from where he was sitting on the couch, finding her cradled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Wh-What's wrong? 'Mione, you can tell me." She was obviously shocked by his sudden appearance but didn't hesitate to wrap her slender arms around his shoulder.

"Oh Harry, I was so stupid!" Hermione? Stupid? Those words didn't go together.

"uhhh.." Harry stammered, awkwardly making an effort to cradle his anxious friend.

"Merlin's pants, can't you boys do anything else than stutter? You're just like Ron!" She cried, rocking back and forth. Harry had to suppress a laugh at her usage of 'Merlin's Pants'.

"I actually thought he liked me." She whispered.

The Yule Ball

Hogwarts

Hermione admired herself in the common room mirror. She looked, pretty for once, she thought. The feeling was exhilarating, let me tell you. Hermione Granger wasn't the type to get all dressed up for a boy, was she? At least not if that boy was Cormac, she would gladly get all tarted up for Ron. Speak of the devil.

"Hey.." Ron blushed, peeping his head through the Fat Lady's Portrait, which was the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Ronald..." Hermione answered coldly, fixing her posture, once again the prim-and-proper Hermione he had familiarized himself with.

"Harry told me you're mad at me. And I just wanted to tell you.. well, I'm sorry." He said.

Well. that's a first. Ronald Weasley, apologizing? It was all too rigged.

He wanted something.

"Oh come off it Ronald, what do you want." She snapped, turning to face him.

"Well.." Ron began, stepping completely through the portrait, revealing his whole body. He was dressed in horrendous dark brown dress robes. With layers of white, dainty ruffles."I look disgusting, don't I? Like a girl... It's bloody embarrassing!" He threw his arms up in frustration, finally looking Hermione in the eyes. "Even Harry looks better than me."

"Blimey, 'Mione.. d'you reckon you could.. y'know, help me?" He stammered out, flashing her a lopsided grin she knew she couldn't say no to.

"Of course, Ron." She smiled, all feelings of anger and jealousy gone. They were friends, nothing more, she considered. They would never be more than that. Besides, Ron and Harry needed her, they wouldn't last two days without her.

"Thanks.." He muttered sheepishly, as she pulled out her wand to begin transforming the offending dress robes into something much nicer and sleeker.

What had once resembled old curtains had become a rather fitting suit, a deep blue, which Hermione thought complimented his eyes.

"'Mione." Ron grinned, admiring himself in the mirror. "This is fantastic!"

Hermione smiled. She couldn't help but glow with happiness whenever he did. "No problem Ronald... It's just missing something."

Out of thin air, she conjured a matching deep blue bowtie. "Viola!" Waving it in front of his face, she waved him closer. He awkwardly shuffled towards her, as she brought her hands around his neck to tie it. "Ze piece de resistance!" She giggled, mocking Fleur. Merlin, did he love it when she giggled.

They seemed to notice the compromising position they were in, foreheads practically pressed against each other. Hermione sprung off him, chuckling awkwardly.

"You look... nice." She offered. He responded with a smile.

"Thank you. And..." Shifting his weight from one foot to another, he wiped his sweaty palms on his newly fashioned blue pants. "Look, 'Mione. I know girl-boy friendships can be hard.."

"Ronald.."

"Just... Thank you for forgiving me." He smiled, wrapping her in a warm hug.

They parted. Both smiling. "Y'know, for a second there, I thought you had a crush on me."

Fuck. Cover it up Hermione, cover it up. "Please.." She scoffed, blushing bright pink. "You will forever be the boy who threw up slugs in our second year."

She turned away, smiling at her comeback. "Hey! It was the wand's fault!" She laughed, looking at herself in the mirror. Now, she had to tame that nasty beast that was her hair.

With a flick of her wand, she had transformed it to be slicked back, straight but flowy. "Slicked back.." One more flick and it was back to normal. "Or au natural?"

Ron smiled, admiring his best friend in the mirror. Surely seeing her with Cormac wouldn't be too hard. He had Lavender to distract him now. She might've been annoying, but boy was she easy on the eyes. No matter, Hermione was happy. That was all that mattered to him.

"You'll look beautiful either way, 'Mione." He extended his arm to her, while she decided that slicked back was the way to go. Personally, he preferred her wild curls, but the change was nice. "Let's get to the Yule Ball, shall we?"

After a night of dancing, Ron was knackered and furious. While the thought of Hermione and Cormac wasn't necessarily unbearable, it was the sight of them together that really hit him.

"D'you wanna dance?" Lavender asked, and he frowned, keeping his eyes trained on the brunette behind the blonde bimbo. Hermione was now pressed up against the Quiddich superstar.

"Not right now." He scowled, sending a furious Lavender running.

Hermione grinned from ear to ear. She swirled, which made her blue dress flutter around her. Merlin, she looked beautiful. Ron thought, almost smiling at his best friend. But he kept the frown on his face and drilled his cold gaze in her direction.

"Going with Cormac has not been that bad." She sighed, flopping down in the seat next to him. "But my feet are killing me."

She briskly removed her high heels, signed with content. "He's gone to the dorms for the afterparty. Would you like to join us?"

Ron snapped. That was the last straw. "Oh, right. I'd love to hang with you and McLaggen." Ron rolled his eyes, picking up his jacket from the seat behind her and beginning to walk away.

That was uncalled for. "And what might be your problem?" Hermione scowled, following him angrily. "I thought you of all people would understand not judging a book by a cover!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that you always complain about people thinking that you are your brothers. And Cormac isn't just a pretty face or typical Quiddich player. He's sweet and smart -"

"Oh! Right, what happened to you hating him?!" Ron snapped.

"I'm not having this conversation with you, Ron." Hermione turned to stomp away, but Ron's strong hand grasped her upper arm.

"Hermione, you and I both know this isn't you... You're just... doing this to spite me!"

"I am not!"

"You are! You're too scared to ever admit your feelings for me, that you're burying it beneath fake feelings for McLaggen!"

"Cormac. AND I AM NOT!"

"YOU ARE! YOU'RE SCARED, HERMIONE. ADMIT IT!" He shouted back, breathing heavily.

"If anyone's scared, it's you!" Hermione screamed, tears beginning to fall.

"Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage to ask me before someone else does!"She was breathing heavily as well, now. And Merlin, Ron just couldn't help himself anymore. She looked so flustered and good in that dress - it was now or never, wasn't it?

He flew at her, pressing his lips against her for the second time that week, and she responded with the same force and intensity that he did. The same longing, hunger, desire. Everything they had been meaning to say for years had come flying out, all at once.

Merlin. It was everything she wanted and more. He felt so warm and inviting and Ron-like. She wanted more.

Hermione let out a moan, wanting to touch every inch of him, fingers flying to his hair.

Ron seemed to come to his senses, gently pushing her off him. "Hermione, wait. We should go somewhere, perhaps more private, hmm?"

"You're right." She whispered, taking his hand in hers. "Yours?"

Ron nodded, all thoughts of anger and jealously had left his mind, and he knew that he was in for a long night.

A long, but unforgettable night, he hoped.


End file.
